Precious Moments
by Skyrvy
Summary: Precious, unrelated mini-stories of Jakob and Corrin some of which are based off of art. Fire chapter- Falling: Corrin trips and somehow lands on top of Jakob... Fire Emblem Fates Jakob and Kamui fanfiction
1. Falling

**A/N**

 **More precious moments coming soon!**

 **Falling is based off of this beautiful art... This place hates links apparently. Ok, how do I do this?**

 **JokerTheButler**

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 **THERE! Put all the parts together with "." after "butler" and "tumblr" if you want to see the beautiful art.**

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I'm still not entirely sure how this happened.

I had just stepped into my Lady Corrin's quarters to ask if she wanted tea. She turned towards me and stepped towards me, and… I'm not certain what happened next. She tripped or slipped or simply lost her balance and with a cry, tumbled towards me. I grabbed her to try to steady her, but I got knocked back as well, and… the next thing I know we're both on the ground. She's on my lap. My legs are bent behind her, her knees are on either side of my waist. My arms are wrapped around her, and I'm looking up into her eyes.

We're so close our noses nearly touch. Her lips are parted, and I can feel her breath on my skin, and I can't… I can't look away. My heart thunders in my chest at the sight of her beautiful face before me, her high cheekbones, her soft skin, the small bandage on one cheek, her gentle, dusky red eyes staring back into mine.

I try to speak, but I can't form any words. I can't even think, and then… "Jakob," she breathes and leans closer towards me still. Her head tilts slightly. She makes a small crooning sound and presses her mouth against mine. Shock washes over me, my eyes widening. She presses harder, and before I can think about what I'm doing, my arms lock around her waist, and I kiss her back, reacting to her touch and giving in to a desire I've had for so long, I don't even remember when it started.

I'm trembling and desperate, kissing her hard. My head is spinning but I don't care. I'm lost in sensation. The scent of roses fills my nose, and Corrin fills my senses. She tastes like soft moonlight. Her hands move to my shoulders and brush across my neck like feathers, sending chills dancing down my spine. She sighs against my lips, and I crush against them, stealing another frantic kiss before I have to awaken from this dream. I hold her tight against me, and she loops her arms around my shoulders, keeping me pressed against her.

Moaning softly she breaks away, putting only just enough space between us so she can look at me. "J-Jakob," she whispers, her voice unsteady. "I'm in love with you."

I'm dizzy, and I can't think straight, and—"Love me?" I whisper. "You love _me_?" I repeat.

She nods, her cheeks red with a blush. "I love you."

"I…" I don't have words. "I love you." Except for those. "I love you back," I murmur, and pull her to me again.


	2. Exhausted

Jakob was exhausted. He didn't think he had ever been more tired in his entire life. He sighed, undressing for bed terribly slowly.

The day had started off with marching. Endless constant marching over rough terrain with only a few breaks in between, short enough so no one's muscles would have the chance to cool down and cramp up. If that had been all, it would have been tolerable… but it wasn't.

They were ambushed. Trapped in a valley with enemies swarming on every side, and they struggled for their lives. Battle raged, every soldier facing two or three enemies. Men and women, standing back to back fighting over the bodies of their allies… They had not had a harder fight, and Jakob would never forget the cries of terror and the pained screams of the dying…

Miraculously, they won the battle. But not without suffering some terrible loss…

Back in the Deep Realms, the injured were rushed to the medical tent, and anyone able to hold a staff was sent for. A new battle was begun, one against Death himself.

From the moment they arrived, Corrin was in the thick of it. For hours they worked, healing what they could, bandaging what they couldn't, sending those who had no chance at survival into a peaceful slumber… Eventually, Jakob had tried to convince Corrin go and rest, but she refused. She had been through more than any of them that day… But she said she couldn't leave her men dying, and there were tears in her eyes as she tended them…

Hours passed, and Corrin was staggering, leaning on walls for support and Jakob finally insisted. She swayed on her feet, but she didn't want to leave. Finally, Jakob swore to her that he would not leave until everyone had been treated, and she acquiesced. Hugging him briefly, she stumbled out of sight, and Jakob watched her go.

Turning, he got back to work. He had never, and would never, break a promise to Corrin.

Hours later when the moans of pain had been silenced, and the camp was quiet, he finally let himself stumble back to their rooms, satisfied his promise had been kept been kept.

It was so late, by that time, the sun was coming up. Jakob was completely drained, and there was nothing he wanted to do more than crawl into bed and wrap his arms around his wife and fall asleep with her scent in his nose.

His clothes were blood-spattered, and he knew he desperately needed to wash himself thoroughly. With the state he was in, however, all he could manage was to run a damp rag across his face and arms.

"You're back," murmured a sleepy voice from behind him.

"Yes," he nodded at Corrin, the edge of his mouth just barely lifting into a tired smile at the sight of her. "I'm sorry to wake you." He was so tired, it was even an effort to speak.

"Nonsense," she replied. Rising from bed, she went to him. He turned to her, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. Already half-asleep in her arms, he laid his head on her shoulder. Her hands slid reassuringly up and down his back, and the day's pain and suffering drifted away at her touch. Jakob took a deep breath, comforted by her familiar scent. "Are you alright?" She murmured.

"I'm fine," he replied quietly. "I'm fine. The wounded… are asleep or…" he searched for a word to express their final end. "Peaceful."

Corrin pulled from him slightly, enough to look at him. She reached up and touched her fingers to his face in a gentle caress. Rising onto her tiptoes, she pressed her lips softly against his then looked at him again, whispering, "Thank you." He smiled faintly at her. "Come to bed," she murmured.

"Nothing would make me happier."

Her hands slid down his arms, and she pulled him with her to the bed. He laid down first, and Corrin laid beside him, her back to his chest. He curled to her form, put his arm over her, his nose in her neck, and whispered, "I love you, Corrin."

Within seconds, he was unconscious, and didn't hear his wife whisper the words, "I love you too, Jakob, so much."


	3. Studying Late

**A/N This particular chapter is based off of this adorable art:**

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media

tumblr

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 **Right, so a "." after each if you want to see the pic. ^.^**

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It was late. Jakob wasn't sure what time it was, but he knew his studying had kept him up for far too long and he would be suffering for it when morning came. He sighed, his eyes dry and weary, and shut his books on sewing and cooking and healing staves and half a dozen other things. He would have to return to them tomorrow. As many hours there were in the day, there were never enough for him to perfect his talents… Lady Corrin deserved everything, and he couldn't give that to her if he didn't know everything about all these things.

Blowing out his candle, he left his books on the table in the darkness for the next day and exited the library. He knew those halls by heart after the years he had lived there so didn't bother taking a light with him.

As always, before returning to his rooms, he went to check on Corrin. Though she was almost always asleep by the time Jakob went to bed, sometimes she stayed awake studying as he did, things on lineage and court practice and sword technique. On nights such as those, he would bring her a fresh pot of tea.

With surprise, Jakob saw light streaming under Corrin's door. _She's up later than usual…_ He thought. Turning, he went straight to the kitchens. If she was studying that hard, she would surely need some refreshment.

Returning a few minutes later, he knocked lightly at the door and pushed it open without waiting for a reply.

"Lady, Cor-" he stopped in his tracks when he saw her. She was sitting at her desk, her head laid on the open book before her… her eyes closed. She had fallen asleep, and Jakob's heart pattered at the sight of her. Quietly setting down his tray, he went to her, and softly brushed the hair from her eyes, his fingers lingering on her cheek.

She was so peaceful asleep, just as angelic as she was awake, but calmer… without the stress of trying to please her father weighing on her shoulders. "Lady Corrin," he whispered. She didn't wake at his quiet words, and Jakob was loathe to bring her from such slumber when she was obviously so exhausted… Settling his hand on her back, he came to a decision. Bending, he slipped his arm under her legs and lifted her as gently as possible. She crooned softly, but didn't wake, shifting towards Jakob and curling against him. His heart thrummed in his chest, and he was terrified the sound of it would bring her around. He held his breath, but she remained asleep in his arms.

Carefully, he stepped towards her bed, holding her tightly and setting her down gently. He lightly touched his palm to her cheek. He was so close to her, so near… and she was asleep. His eyes flickered across her face, and he smiled. "Goodnight, my Corrin." Leaning towards her, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek, lingering a moment or two longer than he probably should have.

Then he pulled her covers up, and tucked her in, blew out her candle, and took up his tray. With a final backwards glance, he quietly exited the room, closing the door behind him.

In her bed, unbeknownst to Jakob, Corrin stirred slightly. Her arms wrapped around a pillow, and she whispered her butler's name in her sleep.


	4. Braids

"My—er—Corrin… This is quite the reverse to what I am used to…"

Corrin's slender fingers wove through Jakob's white hair. It was rather longer than she had realized since she had never seen it out of a braid before… But that was why she had gotten up early this morning. She wanted to be the servant for once and do something for her Jakob.

"I know," she replied softly, relishing in the surprising silkiness between her fingers. "But it shouldn't be, and it won't be for very long." She leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "Once we're married and wake up beside each other every morning, I can braid your hair or… simply _play_ with it..." At those words, her fingers ran along his scalp and lightly tugged his white locks. She placed a kiss just behind his ear, and a small tremor ran through him at her touch. Her lips curled at his reaction. "Every day," she finished before standing straight again forcing herself to focus on her task.

"… I love you, Corrin," her ex-butler murmured, his voice a little husky.

A thrill pulsed through her at those words. She never thought she could be so happy in the midst of a war. It didn't seem right somehow, and yet… she couldn't feel any other way when she was with Jakob. He had always meant so much to her, and now that they were finally engaged… She wasn't sure she could remember a time when she was _more_ happy. "I love you too," she replied.

Her fingers dancing, Corrin deftly weaved Jakob's hair into the braid he typically wore, tying it off using a deep purple ribbon rather than his usual black. "There," she said, resting her hands on his shoulders. "How's that?"

"It's perfect," he replied, glancing back at her with warmth in his eyes. Her smile grew, and her hands on his shoulders slid down his chest until she could rest her chin on his shoulder. She kept her arms loosely wrapped around him. He sighed contentedly, "You don't know how dear such moments are to me."

Corrin snuggled a little closer. "Actually, I know exactly how you feel… In fact, I wish we didn't have to go out today. I just want to stay in with you… Curl up for a while."

Jakob's hand rested over one of hers. "That sounds… wonderful…"

Nuzzling his neck, she whispered, "Maybe… we can be a little late." Her breath on his skin sent a shiver down his spine, and he took her hand, pressing a kiss against it softly. Corrin purred and kissed the space just above his collar in return. He tensed under her, but she hugged him close and kissed his neck again, starting a tender trail across his burning skin. He tilted slightly to allow her better access, and when she took him up on his offer, mouth tantalizingly soft on his skin, he whimpered at her attention. Corrin's insides started melting, heat rushing through her body, but she didn't stop until his breathing was haggard and hers wasn't much better. Reaching the hollow just underneath his jaw, she pressed her mouth against it and received a shudder in response.

"Gods, Corrin," he whispered, and she paused, goosebumps spreading across her arms. Rising, she stepped around his chair, trembling slightly at the dark shade to Jakob's eyes. She sat in his lap, twisting her arms around his shoulders. Without hesitation, his own arms snaked around her, pulling her tight against him. His gaze swept across her face, and he chanted her name thickly. Corrin curled against him, her fingernails lightly scraping across his neck. He groaned, and she kissed his chin… then upwards a centimeter and again… and again, and he was groaning more, and his arms were locking around her, his mouth crushing to hers, and any thoughts she still had left were swept away with his tongue and his heavy breath on her face as he kissed her, and Corrin knew they would most definitely be late.


	5. A Good Day

**After all the angst from my other stories, I thought I'd lighten things up with this bit of self-indulgent fluff. ^.^**

 **This chapter is based off of this beautiful art [link also posted on my profile page]:**

 **zerochan**

 **net/**

 **1905276**

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Finally, a good day.

Ryoma and Azura got married, and in the little chapel, Corrin squeezed my hand, smiling at me, and I could tell by the glow of her eyes that she was remembering our own wedding just a few short weeks ago. As Ryoma read his vows, I brought Corrin's knuckles to my lips and softly kissed them one by one, telling her with my gaze how much I loved her, how much I cherished her… The newlyweds kissed before their friends and family, and my fingers stroked her cheek as I whispered my own vows of undying adoration in her ear.

She was red with blush when I pulled back, but she wore a grin on her lips so wide that her eyes shown with her delight, and in that moment, I never wanted to do anything more than take her in my arms and show her just how much I meant every word I spoke.

But the crowd surged out into the courtyard with celebratory shouts, and Corrin and I were swept up with them, somehow ending up in the square with the other couples as music started playing raucously. Corrin laughed, and I grinned, and the whole army danced and ate and partied long after the newlyweds retired for the evening.

When twilight descended and the music and dancing continued without an end in sight, I glanced over at my wife… and froze at the sight. Her hair shimmered in the golden light, her face shining with mirth. When she caught me watching, her countenance shifted into one full of love and devotion… And I had never seen anything more beautiful in my life.

Before I consciously decided to, my hand grabbed hers, and I pulled her along after me in the direction of our chambers. Neither of us could get there fast enough. Reaching the door, I pulled her to me and pushed her against it, and I crushed my mouth against hers, and it was like our first kiss all over again. Shockwaves rippled across my skin, and my hands tangled in her hair as hers fiddled with my shirt. Somehow, the door opened for us, and we stumbled through, crashing onto the floor with a delirious laugh.

Laying there were Corrin beautifully sprawled beneath me, I paused for just a moment… She gazed up at me, her hand touching my neck, and a perfectly content smile quirked her lips. Looking back at her… I was suddenly overcome by my complete and total and overwhelming happiness…


	6. Stations

**Sorry... this one's a bit... angsty.**

 **I have more works coming both for this and other stories, so keep a lookout. ^.^**

 **Thank you all for your support, and if anyone has a request, make it known and I'll try to make it happen!**

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Brushing her hair is my favorite part of the day.

She sits in front of her mirror, and I stand behind her.

Usually she talks to me about anything and everything…. the day she had or her worries or her brothers and sisters or her thoughts and secrets… I listen to it all, speaking when I think I should, always giving her my undying support, or advice if she asks...

Sometimes though, she's quiet… doesn't say a word… She watches silently, her crimson eyes studying my reflection as I trace her neck and run my fingers through her hair, the brush following their path. I smile slightly at her, and she returns to me one of her own, and for a little while… just a little while, I imagine that nothing, not even our stations in life can separate us…

I brush her hair a thousand times until it shines and lays in feathery soft waves down her back, prolonging my time with her as much as possible. I'm always reluctant to let these moments end… but the reality can't be ignored forever. She's a princess… a beautiful, kind-hearted princess, and I'm a servant. I can't hold her the way my arms long to. I can't place a kiss on her cheek like I fantasize…

So each evening when I finish her hair, I simply bid her goodnight. I bow, and I leave her alone in her chambers.

I can't love her the way my heart cries out for me to do… But what I can do— _will_ do—is stay by her side for as long as she allows me… protecting her, serving her… brushing her hair each night… And when I lay awake in bed afterwards, my hands still tingling from the silkiness of her tresses, I tell myself the lie that these things will be enough.


	7. Beach Trip

**By Request! I hope this fulfills your lovely time at the beach idea ^.^**

 **I have to admit, it was fun to write.**

 **For all those reading, I'd have to say this is an alternate universe fic, as I don't imagine they would wear bikinis in Fire Emblem...**

 **If anyone else has any requests, let them be known, and I'll try to make them happen. :]**

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It is a hot, bright, sunshiny day, and only a scant few puffs of clouds dot the sapphire sky. The heat and light beat down on Jakob's body, stretched out as it is on a narrow beach towel, the scent of sun tan lotion emanating from him in waves.

He lays with his eyes closed, his hands resting by his sides, and silently listens to the constant _rush_ of the ocean and the screechy caw of the seagulls as they race each other to the specks of life left behind by the receding waves. Distantly, children laugh, yelling and splashing in the salty water and adding to the harmony of beach life.

He lets out a contented breath, pleased that Corrin had convinced him to come here.

As he is thinking this, a shadow falls across his eyes. Curiously, he opens them… Just as Corrin straddles him, her knees pressing into the sand on either side of his waist, the cool palms of her hands resting on his sun-warmed chest, and he suddenly has another reason to be very, very happy they had come.

His eyebrows raise, his study of her figure starting low and traveling slowly upwards… from the line of her bikini to her toned belly… A drop of sweat forms on her gently rising and falling chest, and he can't help but follow its path as it glides over the rise of her breast and disappears below her crimson top. He licks his lips and forces his gaze up along her slender neck.

By the time he reaches her playfully curving lips he is completely flustered.

"You…" he breathes, hands resting on her scarcely covered hips. "Are a _goddess_... What could I have possibly done to deserve such a vision?"

She chuckles at his words, tossing her hair appreciatively. But instead of immediately replying, she slides her fingers up his chest and over his shoulders until they fall into the sand, and her torso presses tantalizingly to his skin, her lips temptingly close. "Ea-sy," she answers, deliciously curling her tongue around the syllables, humming like a cat purring for her master. "You… were… _per-fect_ …"

Jakob's arms wrap around her bare back, pressing into the softness of her skin, and her lips meet his, slow and playful. But that's not what he wants. He _needs_ her like she is his oxygen. He _aches_ for more, but when he tries to coax it from her, she won't let him, pulling back, teasing him with the barest of kisses and driving him mad.

Growling deep in his throat, his arms tighten around her, and he shifts, twisting on his blanket until she is the one pressed into the sand and he hovers above her. "That's better," he grumbles, and his mouth crashes onto hers.

She arches against him, her breath tickling his lips, and he kisses her again until neither can breathe quite right, and they're both hotter than the sun.

"This beach trip," he grunts, voice rough and uneven, lips pressing against her chin and jaw and neck. "It was a good idea."

"Oh, yes," she replies, hands on his bare skin. "A very good idea."


	8. Torture

**A/N**

 **So sorry about the delay! I had to go out of town, and I had internet trouble both days before I left! So frustrating. So I was unable to upload at all until now.**

 **This is that reverse torture story. Reverse of "Whatever Lengths Necessary" that I mentioned? I wrote most of this, and then I got the idea for the other story and went wild with it... Well, this isn't completely reverse because Corrin isn't captured, but it is similar.**

 **It's definitely long for one of my Precious Moments, but this seemed like the best place to post it.**

 **It's also angsty so if you're not in the mood, skip over it, for I'm uploading a cute precious one as well. :]**

 **Thank you for reading!**

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She hadn't known what to do.

She had starved the enemy soldier of food and water for three days. She had left him the dankest dungeon without a flicker of light. She had cajoled and pleaded and bribed and begged and screamed and threatened, yet nothing had worked. He wouldn't tell her where they were keeping Kaze and Saizo. Corrin was out of options and desperate. Too much time had gone by already. Her spies could be dead by now or endlessly tortured, and yet… she couldn't bring herself to do the same to save them. But what else _could_ she do?

She was pacing in her room in the middle of the night, sleep as faraway and distant as her life back in the fortress. Her options were slim, and she didn't like any of them.

Option one, she could keep waiting. Keep starving the prisoner and questioning him day and night. He would crack eventually, but that could be a matter of days, time she couldn't waste while her spies, her _friends,_ were held by the Nohrians.

Option two, she could give up. Kaze and Saizo had been missing for four days already. They could be dead by now, and Corrin was taking the chance that they hadn't broken under the Nohrians' questioning… but… She wouldn't do that. She regretted even considering leaving them to their fate. She wouldn't forsake them, no matter the consequences.

Finally, option three, the one she most feared, and the one that was fast becoming her only choice… Force the information from him… through any means necessary.

Corrin paced her room, worrying her hands in front of her. Could she possibly bring herself to do what had to be done? The lives of two of her most trusted men depended on her, yet she was conflicted. To perpetrate torture on a defenseless man, even one who was her enemy… It made her sick to think about. But there was no one else. Or rather, she would never ask anyone else to do what she would not. She was the leader of this army… That meant she couldn't only _make_ the hard decisions. She had to carry them out as well.

Sitting on her bed, she covered her face with her hands and took long slow breaths through her fingers, trying to steady herself. For once in her life, she wished she had spent more time under King Garon's influence so that she might have learned some of his ruthlessness. A cold heart and a heavy hand would serve her purposes well tonight.

Shrouded in darkness, she didn't even hear the knock at the door or notice it quietly open a moment later. When Jakob laid his hand on her shoulder, she flinched, staring up at him. His familiar face made her heart ache. Without a thought, she rose, flung her arms around him, and let her fear dissolve into tears on his shoulder. "I—I don't know if I can do this, Jakob," she wept, not bothering to explain what she meant. "I don't think I'm strong enough."

"Sh, sh," her butler whispered, softly stroking her hair and holding her. "… You don't need to worry anymore," he kissed the top of her head. "I'll take care of everything."

Her eyes opened. She stiffened in his grip and pulled from him, shaking her head in refusal. "No, no, Jakob. I can't let you do that—"

He took her hands in his before she could escape and paused a moment to silently look in her eyes. Then he smiled and asked for the key to the prisoner's dungeon.

"Jakob… no! I can't ask you to—"

"Lady Corrin, please," he interrupted. "You _didn't_ ask. We need this information, and I am willing to get it." But still she hesitated. She couldn't let him do this… could she? "The longer we wait," Jakob murmured, "the longer Kaze and Saizo are held prisoner… And I doubt their captors have your compassionate heart."

He was right. She knew he was right. Her mind raced to find some other possible solution, but there… there was nothing.

She retrieved the key.

Placing it in his open palm, she looked into his eyes and silently begged his forgiveness. The corner of his mouth lifted in response. Then he bowed and left without another word spoken between them.

Corrin fell against the wall and slid to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest, and fighting the urge to rage against the unfairness of war.

Moments later, the screams started.

Agonized, dreadful bloodcurdling cries of pain, and the tears fell from Corrin's cheeks in great, fat drops. She buried her face in her knees and rocked back and forth. It had begun, and she couldn't… _wouldn't_ stop him now.

All that was left to do was pray for an end and repeat _it had to be done_ like a mantra in her mind.

It felt like hours before silence filled the realm again.

Strangely, the ringing in Corrin's ears seemed louder than the screams ever were.

She got up, her body unwinding and aching after being tensed and shaken with adrenaline for… she wasn't sure how long.

She went to the dungeons first, but Jakob wasn't in the hall, and she didn't want to look in the prisoner's cell… She wasn't ready for that yet. So she went to Jakob's room instead. Without knocking, she pried open the door and saw him standing on the other side of the room, his back turned. He had taken off his jacket, and his hair was coming undone from its usual braid. He was doing something with his hands… She peered a little closer, dread crawling down her spine.

He was… washing his hands. Scrubbing the red of someone's blood from the crevices of his skin, but… his sleeve was dripping, and it wasn't with water, and Corrin shut her eyes.

She stumbled back into the hall, shaking, taking deep steadying breaths. She had let him do it, and he had never failed her before. She knew he wouldn't now, but, gods, suddenly she wished he had.

This was on her. It was her fault Kaze and Saizo were capture, and it was she who had… who had _manipulated_ Jakob into doing this, and now… How could he ever look at her without remembering what she had done?

Her stomach twisted, and she pushed open the door again, running to him and throwing her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest so she wouldn't have to see the blood on his clothes or see the expression on his face, and she said she was sorry, she was sorry, she was so, so sorry. She said it so many times, her tongue got twisted on the words. She didn't deserve him or his loyalty, and she was weeping into his shirt.

"Corrin—Please—" he muttered, stricken and anxious. "I didn't want you to see me like this."

"You were just a boy," Corrin wept. "Just a lonely boy left in my castle, and I took advantage of you. I turned you into this monster. What have I—What have I _done_?"

His voice choked, "I don't… blame you for seeing me as a monster… How could you do otherwise? But I would do it again, Corrin. It's not your fault. I would do it again for you because I will be whatever you need me to be—Whatever you need—always."

Ah, _no_ , she hadn't meant that! He wasn't a monster. He could never be, and the pain in his voice gutted her.

She raised her eyes to his, and cried with the hurt she saw there. She placed her palms on his cheeks. "You are _not_ a monster, Jakob. And I will never, _never_ need you to do this again. Do you understand? All I _ever_ need is you. I just need you. Just my beautiful, beautiful Jakob. Because I love him. I love—I love you." He searched her expression like he didn't know what to believe, so Corrin rose on her toes and lightly pressed her lips against his.

He shook his head at her, "Corrin—you mustn't—"

She kissed him again, harder this time, clinging to him and proving her sincerity with her touch. Then told him, "I don't know if you can ever forgive me for what passed tonight, but I—I thank you for it. You have saved two lives. That makes you a _hero_. You did what had to be done… And tomorrow will be the beginning of my life trying to make it up to you." He tried to speak, but Corrin gave a stiff shake of her head. "Don't. Don't say anything… We'll rescue our ninjas, and then we will rest, and _then_ we will talk, ok?"

He swallowed and nodded slowly. Corrin gave him a weak smile, then let go of him and quickly turned, exiting his room before she could again see the blood on his sleeves.


	9. Perfect

She's wound up in my arms. Curled against my chest, her bare skin touches mine, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she dreams…

And I watch her.

Watch her as I've watched her all night.

I thought, perhaps, that I might eventually drift off as well, warm and totally, totally happy, her honeysuckle aroma mixing with the slight tang of sweat in the air and filling my nose and my mind with memories and dreams of growing up a few grand hallways down from her.

But I couldn't.

I couldn't take my eyes off her sweet face so very near. I couldn't stop reveling at how perfectly her body fits against mine. I couldn't stop telling myself that it was true. She loved me. She married me, and now she's snuggled next to me with absolutely nothing between us.

I don't know if I'll ever stop smiling. My face is already sore from it, but I can't help myself.

In my life of service to the one I loved, I have had many happy days. Days when she would smile at me, laugh at something I said, spend time in my company, simply because she wanted to. Some days I thought I could never be happier.

Oh, how wrong I was.

The moment she told me she loved me made every other blissful day pale in comparison. I thought nothing could top that. A second later, she proved me wrong again when she grabbed my collars, pulled me down, and kissed me hard.

Nothing was ever so incredible.

Then there was our wedding. I was a mess of anxiety before it began, but when she appeared in a downy gown of swanfeather white, and tears fell from her eyes when she said I do, every other thought in my head evaporated. I could not say _yes_ fast enough.

Of course, after the reception, a new kind of perfection jolted my senses when I finally had the chance to worship her from head to foot, missing no spots in between…

But now… Now with her calloused hands pressed to my chest, and her face a mere inch from my own… This moment is close to beating them all…

Just as that thought enters my mind, she hums slightly, opens her dark eyes, and stares up at me.

My heart skips a beat.

A blush flares across her skin as she realizes how closely we're entangled together. But then, almost instantly afterwards, a bashful smile spreads across her reddening lips. She whispers three words to me, and with that, I have no more doubt.

This is the most perfectly happy I have ever been in my entire life.

And I can't wait to see what the next moment might bring.


	10. A Broken Heart and Ribbons and Rope

"There are two voices in my head, Jakob. Two voices. One is noble and wise, one is selfish and frightened. One is a leader, the other, a deserter. Killer and lover… Brave and terrified.

"I don't know what to do, Jakob. I pretend to know. I play the part. But I'm… I'm a frightened girl fighting a war between two halves of my soul. I don't want to win. I don't want to kill my family. But how can I let these people down? These people who have followed me and slaughtered for me and turned to me for their hope…

"I cannot win this war. No matter the outcome, I will have lost. I know that now.

"My heart is split in half, divided, and yet one thing remains constantly true. One thing fastens my heart together with ribbons and rope… And that is you, Jakob. It's always been you. Before this war began, before my heart was sheered in two, it was you holding my joy in the palm of your hand.

"In my dreams we are together… in a cottage somewhere far away. Somewhere with mountains in the distance and green hills and gray skies… A paradise where there is no death or impossible choices…

"But I can't have it. I won't have it. I can't go there, and I can't have you because I won't submit you to life chained to me. A life chained to half a heart and two voices vying to get out."

"My Lady-" Jakob starts, but Corrin shuts her eyes at the sound of his voice, and he stops. Before he can find something to stay, she stops him again with a low, dark tone. "Leave, Jakob," was all she said, but somehow that quiet command is more threatening than any shout could ever have been.

She turns her back to him, head lowered, waiting for the sound of his footsteps and the click of the door behind him. But neither comes, and silence stretches from one minute to the next. Silence, heavy, palpable, endless, and shattering whatever remains of her heart. Corrin's head dips lower, her shoulders shaking with pain, with anger, until she just can't bear it any longer. Choking on her own words, she screams, _What are you waiting for? I told you to go!_

Still, Jakob doesn't speak, but he closes the space between them and enfolds her in his arms. She fights and shoves, bites and claws, but Jakob is strong, stronger than she ever thought possible. She can't win, and she's tired. Tired of fighting, tired of failures disguised as victories. So she surrenders, sooner than either of them thought possible. She surrenders everything, letting it all go and sobbing in the circle of his arms.

And all he ever says is, "Forgive me my love, but for once, I refuse to obey."


	11. The Fire That Burns

**"I find it difficult to maintain decorum with you... when the others are around."**

* * *

Jakob couldn't keep his eyes off her. He never could, but she was being especially incredible today. She was like a piece of art… A waltz… A dancer spinning to a melody no one else could hear.

She gestured, and her hand twirled through the air. He followed it from the tip of her fingers up her arm, to her bending elbow, past her narrow shoulder. Her slender neck rose, and Jakob's eyes traveled upwards til they landed on her lips, just as those lips parted and a laugh spilled forth.

His breath hitched.

She continued to speak, saying something to her little sister, but Jakob couldn't follow the conversation. His hand held his chin, elbow on the edge of his chair, but his gaze focused solely on her every movement, every action, every smile, every flick of her hair. It was entrancing. _She_ was entrancing. And she was his, and he couldn't get enough of her.

Her chest rose and fell with every inhale and exhale, her pointed ears slightly twitched when she spoke, her eyes, the color of dying roses, flashed with her humor… And those lips. His eyes kept returning to those lips. Red and soft. Softer than anything he had ever felt. They kept curling and curving, and her teeth barely nibbled them when she was thinking, and Jakob was half convinced she was doing it for the sole purpose of driving him completely mad.

…And it was working.

An animal growl started in his stomach and crawled its way up his throat, and it was all he could do to remain seated and appear calm in the company of her sisters.

"—akob? Jakob?" He blinked, waking from his trance and realizing she was speaking his name.

"Yes, my love?" he answered, his steady voice betraying nothing of the fire burning in his veins.

"Camilla went off to find our brothers. Elise thought she might run to the kitchen and grab some treats and tea before they return. What kind would you like?"

Camilla had left? Jakob hadn't even noticed… And Elise was about to run off? … And… the two of them would be alone for a moment? Jakob smiled. "Green tea if that suits you, my love."

"That's just what I was in the mood for. Green tea, Elise, thank you."

Jakob's body tensed as the little girl sprung to her feet and rushed for the door. It barely clicked, and he was on his feet, pushing Corrin against the wall and crushing his mouth to hers.

She murmured in surprise, but he bit off the words, and whatever she was saying dripped into a groan instead. Her fingers clutched at his shirt, arms looping around his neck, and Jakob smiled. His hands curled around her hips, and he pushed her possessively against the wall. She only had time for a brief gasp before Jakob's mouth was on hers again, claiming her lips almost violently. His hands moved again, sliding slowly up her sides. She shivered at his touch. He reached her neck, and his fingers buried themselves in her hair, scratching along her scalp until she was humming, moaning in his mouth.

He was pressed against her, no space between them, their bodies entangled, and the fire grew only hotter, fueled rather than satiated.

But the door creaked as it opened, and Jakob was gone, taking his seat, crossing his legs, his hand on his chin and a wicked smile curling his lips as he watched his wife trying futilely to mask her flushed face, labored breath, mussed hair, and swollen lips.

"Do you need help with the tea?" He politely inquired.


End file.
